Course Overview
This workshop will provide fire investigators and others with similar interests in fire investigation with scientific information behind the use of on-site screening for flammable liquids, and laboratory identification of fire accelerants and evidentiary limitations. Contamination precautions, collection, handling and preservation techniques and exhibit integrity during continuity and submission issues affecting contamination and analytical result validity will be discussed. There will be a simple discussion of the application of scientific properties of volatile accelerant types of pure substances and mixtures affecting collection and preservation to assist with selection of exhibits, preservation and lab examination. To clarify the role of the laboratory, instrumentation, the process of taking analytical results and forming an 'opinion', understanding the report will be covered including a detailed examination of the laboratory process to 'prove' the identity of results and other possible analytical examinations that a laboratory could undertake. A lab tour to view the equipment and an exercise to 'forensically' seal and label exhibit materials is included.
Prerequisite(s)
- No prerequisites are required for this course.
Credits
0.0
- Retired
- This course has been retired and is no longer offered. Find other Flexible Learning courses that may interest you.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this course the student will be able to:
- Discuss the differences between pure substances and mixtures in the context of detection, preservation and analysis of fire accelerant residues.
- Briefly discuss the process of fractional distillation in the production of petroleum distillates and pure substance fire accelerants.
- Discuss the application of selected physical properties to the preservation and extraction of fire debris for accelerant analysis.
- Discuss the application of selected physical properties to the laboratory instrumental analysis of fire debris extracts.
- Discuss the analytical results of a gas chromatograph - mass spectrometer(gc-ms) in terms of use as a fingerprinting and identification tool.
- Describe the operation of the gc-ms.
- Discuss the human factor in result interpretation from the gc-ms including pyrolysis, contaminants, evaporation and use of standard analytical pattern comparison.
- Compare 'sniffer devices', arson dogs and the gc-ms in terms of the certainty of identification of a fire accelerant.
- Identify and explain key terms and phrases in the analyst's report.
- List 10 steps to ensure exhibit credibility.
- Compare and contrast the suitability of glass jars, metal cans and plastic bags in preserving fire debris evidence.
- Briefly list the steps in a laboratory analysis to ensure accuracy.
- List other types of forensic examination available from forensic and commercial laboratories and describe how to pick a credible lab for your analysis.
Effective as of Spring/Summer 2007
Programs and courses are subject to change without notice. Find out more about BCIT course cancellations.